Official Australia World Cup Thread

[LVR]

Japan is reeling from its 3-1 loss to Australia. Deborah Cameron was in Tokyo, keeping a low profile.
DISBELIEF, tears and grief swirled through Japan yesterday, closely pursued by the definite whiff of blame and recrimination. The national coach, Zico, with the head of the soccer federation and the star player, were the targets. Tokyo sports tabloids, known for their blunt and racy language, called for their heads.
The sports tabloid Nikkan Gendai blamed incompetent Zico; arrogant Nakata; dictator Kawabuchi. (Hidetoshi Nakata is Japan's star midfield defender and a national celebrity, and Kawabuchi is the president of the Japan Football League who is sometimes referred to as the emperor.)
Not long before leaving for Germany, Zico, the former Brazilian superstar, said he half expected to be sacked if Japan lost to Australia. He said at the time that the game was the most important one of the competition for Japan as it would make or break the team psychology.
Yesterday, the mood in Tokyo was bleak, and Zico is probably glad to be ending his contract voluntarily immediately after the World Cup campaign.
"Collapse in Kaiserslautern" screamed the headline of The Daily Yomiuri.
While early newspaper editions were uplifting, there was no escaping the dreadful end or the depressing scoreline.
"It was a nightmare," reported the Sankei Sports newspaper and a "tragedy" according to Chunichi Sports.
Australia's strikers and Japan's goalkeeper, Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, broke the hearts of 130 million Japanese.
"He is our very best," said Kenichiro Kawata, who runs a tea shop in Tokyo with his parents, and who was among a crowd of about 400 who watched the game on a big screen at the Nakata.net Cafe, which was set up about a month ago to cash in on World Cup fever.
After the first half the crowd was deliriously happy, certain that Australia was done for.
Tomo Nori, a university student, who like almost everyone else there wore the team's bright blue, apologised and bowed deeply to this reporter, saying that of course Japan would be victorious because Australia was the weakest team in Group F.
"Sorry, I do apologise. Really, I'm sorry," he said.
Even after Australia's game-equalling goal, the mood did not change. Acknowledging the eight Australian fans in the room, the Japanese supporters cheered just as loudly for the equalising goal as they had for their own. But by the time the third goal was scored, there was no spark left and tears flowed.
Less than two hours before, the event's master of ceremonies, a Bert Newton-style showman, had warmed up the party by sending out trays and trays of free white coffees.
This was, he said, a traditional Australian cafe drink made at Nakata.net with specially imported Australian milk. The toast that he proposed was: "Let's gulp down those Australians." But it proved hard to swallow.

[LVR]

Australia, fresh from scoring their first goals in World Cup competition, now find themselves on top of their Group, after Brazil and Croatia fought out a tough 1-0 battle.

They only need to score a single point from the remaining two matches to progress through to the second round.....

"Caarmon Aussie Carmon, Carmon.........."

[PersonaNonGrata]

Yes but how are the Aussie female fans?

[statdoc]

I understand several of the Croatian players are actually Australians, of Croatian descent, who decided to play for Croatia instead of the country that took in their refugee parents, and used government funds to train them to be world-class players.

[Sports Junkie]

Australia is a multicultural country made up of many different nationalities. You just need to look at our playing roster to see the names and you soon realise that most of our players could play for either Australia or their original country. You will find that those Aussies playing for other countries mostly couldn't make our national team and have decided that they want to play in the world cup regardless of who they represent.

[LVR]

It was so near and yet so far on an emotional evening in Munich when Australia showed that, despite a 2-0 loss to world champion Brazil, it could stand tall and compete as a genuine contender on the biggest stage in world sport.
Socceroos coach Guus Hiddink had insisted before his team took on Brazil that while the result was important, the performance, with the eyes of the world on them, was equally so.
Although it may be comfort of the coldest kind, he, and the nation, can take solace from the thought that the Socceroos might have been beaten by the tournament favourite in a fast and fierce contest today, but they were rarely bloodied and certainly never bowed in a match that, had the football gods smiled up on them, would have ended in a draw.
In a thrilling second half Australia, playing in an unfamiliar navy, launched waves of attacks on the Brazilian goal after falling behind just after the restart to a goal by Adriano.
Where other teams might have retreated into their shell, Australia merely redoubled its efforts, and created a number of opportunities which, on other days, would have levelled the score.

Ahh well it was not to be..........

[LVR]

Harry Kewell scored a dramatic equaliser as Australia made history by reaching the last 16 of the World Cup with a 2-2 draw against Croatia at the Gottlieb Daimler Stadium.

Kewell, one of two changes from the team that lost to Brazil, struck with 11 minutes to play to set up a meeting with European powerhouse Italy on Monday.

Australia finished second in their group behind South America's world No. 1 Brazil.

Socceroos captain Mark Viduka said it was an amazing way for the team to qualify for the final 16.

"What a game tonight, you could not ask for more," said Viduka.

"It's very difficult when you cop a goal that early in the game but we kept our composure and knew we could do them some damage and we did that. We conceded another goal and it was an uphill battle again but we showed all the spirit to do that."

Viduka praised Kewell, who was named man of the match, for a perfect winner to put Australia through to the next stage.

"We threw out all the forwards to try and get a goal and thank God Harry was in the right place at the right time and it was a beautiful goal," said Viduka.

"It was such an end-to-end game, they had a few chances towards the end but we had a little luck on our side but I think we earned it today."

Asked by a reporter what was the method behind his magical turn with small teams at the World Cup, Hiddink said: "This team underestimated its own power because of Australia's failure to qualify in the past. But the Aussies are very open and coachable and I knew immediately after taking the job that they could cope with the demands of international football.


We now get to play Italy, a team our coach guided his former charges (Korea) to victory over in the last world cup.....

[X5Jones]

Aussie!, Aussie!, Aussie!

[benathon]

I was hoping this was going to be a thread with pictures of Australian females....at the world cup.

[ljnlaw]

Where are the pics of the Ausie Shielas